Of Iron & Copper
by oneandninteenmore
Summary: "A courier, a doctor, and a cybernetic dog. Maybe when this is over we can open an act at The Tops." Kevedd, inspired/crossover'd heavily by/with Fallout New Vegas, although if you've played the game you'll still be in for many surprises; also if you havn't played the game no need to worry!


**Setting:** (_aka for those not familiar with the game_) The story takes place during the year 2281, 204 years after the Great War of 2077.(Atomic bombs galore and people having to live in vaults underground.) The city of former Las Vegas (now called "New Vegas") and its surroundings are divided between various factions, but there are three major powers competing for control of the region: The New California Republic 'NCR' (Think of them as the government today), Caesar's Legion, and Mr. House. The NCR's military is now overextended and mismanaged, but controls the majority of territories in the Mojave. The slave-driving, Roman army-styled Caesar's Legion, formed by its leader, Caesar, conquered and united 86 tribes and now plans to conquer New Vegas. Mr. House, the mysterious businessman, controls New Vegas with an army of 'Securitron' security robots.  
There are other factions and groups: they are the Boomers, a tribe of heavily armed vault dwellers who have taken shelter at Nellis Air Force Base; the Powder Gangers, violent groups of escaped convicts; the Great Khans, a tribe of drug dealers and raiders; The Followers of the Apocalypse, a group a scientists, doctors and teachers; and the Brotherhood of Steel, the technology-craving remnants of the _old_ U.S. military who are attempting to secure any heavy weapons that could cause significant harm.

**A/N:** So after being into this ship for god only knows how long, and noticing how popular it's gotten over the last few months, I decided to try my hand at some fanfiction. It's been a good few years since I've started something like this, but I hope to not disappoint! I'd love some feedback, but either way I do plan to continue this story.  
Also little fun fact! The title was inspired by Game Of Thrones, because Kevin is pure iron, hard and strong, yes, but brittle, the way iron gets. He'll break before he bends. As for Edd, he's copper, bright and shiny, pretty to look at. 

* * *

The seasons had long since ceased to change, seeing as atomic bombs tended to change everything, weather included. Never the less, it was cold and a desert winter was most assuredly coming if the frigid sandstorm dusted nights had been anything to go by.  
Kevin's green eyes flickered between the warm fire and thin air ; his thoughts. Kevin absently placed a hand to his head, thick calloused fingers thumbing over a scar ; his hair was finally starting to grow back. It'd been a year, a whole fucking year since he'd been shot, a year since he left the NCR for good. Although it wasn't so much that he left, as it was they thought him dead. He supposed in lieu of sitting around mourning what was a year later, he should just be grateful that he wasn't actually dead, a reality that had come so close.  
The crackling sounds of the fire stirred him away from his thoughts long enough to look down at Rex ; his cybernetic dog. Well not his per-say, Rex did belong to one of the local head honchos back home. But hell, after everything he went through to keep the dog alive, and help ' The King ' , the man couldn't help but allow Rex to accompany Kevin on his courier jobs. Besides it had made Edd feel better about Kevin trekking into the wasteland.

Ah Edd, the reason he was alive, and away from that aforementioned reality he'd come close too. Edd had been the only good outcome to a bitter dirt trail that was his past, it really wasn't his past that he hated so much as the fact of when he got shot. Kevin could assume that most people would hate that though, and if they didn't hate getting shot up then they must of gotten ' a hole in their head bigger than he had. He can recall it all surprisingly well, as well as someone who'd been beaten to hell and back, and left for dead with a bullet from his own rifle lodged in his skull could anyway.

He had been scouting on the outskirts of New Vegas with two other Veteran Rangers when it happened, The terrain hadn't been the best, and while the three of them had been trained to deal with worse that didn't make the situation any less complicated. They'd been sent out to find a legion slaving camp as well as retrieve some package they'd been carrying, and Kevin could recall how gung-ho he was about the whole situation. Like most of the NCR killing legion scum and protecting the waste from slavers was far more appealing than just standing around and doing nothing. Granted that the rangers did more sniping than anything else, they still got the job done; leaving Kevin usually proud regardless.  
The two others with him had been the closest things he had to a family back in those days, and he would have taken a bullet for them had the chance ever came up; he supposed now in a way it did. But few Veteran Rangers, if any, had ever been on the receiving end of a bullet.

Rangers complete their missions so often that it was easy to forget they might fail.

In this case the three of them had. There was Weston, a guy who was from some little town in the east not even big enough to get a spot on the map. Swore up and down he came from some kind of vault with the 'biggest damned shootin' range ya' ever did see Kev.' But he'd apparently left there, never said why and Kevin had never asked. Figured the guy could handle a sniper rifle better than anyone he'd ever seen, so regardless how he got on their platoon he'd been grateful. Wes had this really cowboy look to him, and he was taller than Kevin by a mile, skinner though and with shaggy messy blond hair, it was a wonder it didn't hinder his shots any to be honest.  
He had tattoos all up and down his arms of god only knows what, all sorts of mutated monsters he claimed to have killed out in the wasteland before he joined up with the NCR.  
Then there was Texas, or Tex for short; everyone called her that on account of her accent and the fact she did actually come from Texas. While most folks didn't take to kindly to Ghouls, considering they could turn into feral zombie like creatures, Kevin hadn't ever really worried around Tex, she was level headed, and had a better head on her shoulders than both of the men in her company put together. Plus she commanded respect, so thankfully she hadn't ever really gotten grief for her appearance. Kevin had only ever thought it thankful for the other people, considering Texas never missed a shot with her hunting revolver.

Maybe it was a sandstorm flaring up, or the sun was in their eyes just enough, or hell who knows why things went wrong that day, but everything did. Weston had went to scout ahead, get a good location to overlook the camp they'd figured they would spot soon. He'd been foolish to go alone, and they'd been foolish to let him; but it was too late to realize that now. Tex stayed put watching from behind the trail, a bit behind Kevin who'd started to get antsy when they hadn't heard from Weston.  
Everything had started to spiral into one big event, and when Kevin heard a gun shot ring out into the canyon, his heart sank for the first time. He called out to Tex to cover him, but he hadn't realized that she'd already got the butt of some legion members gun to her face. Kevin had got to Weston too late, and fuck he'd got to himself too late because there were suddenly too many legion members to take out and survive.  
Sure he could go out swinging, and he would-but there was no living from this, no survival.  
_'Fuckin' Legion-fucks, they'll be lookin' for us you sonsofbitches.'_ Weston was pinned down but still yelling, the damned fool, and it had taken four men to do the deed of holding him, two more dragging a broken and beaten up Texas from behind Kevin. They'd caught her by surprise, cowards- really though they caught them all by surprise, and Kevin wasn't really sure how they got such a good jump on them. There was no way that sudden the Legion got smart enough to pull stunts like this.

Something didn't bode right with him. _'I don't know how you pulled this off, but you better back off now before a blow your head clean off there pal.'_ He'd spoken aiming right for whom he assumed was the head of this bunch, if Kevin remembered how the Legion hierarchy worked by uniforms anyway._ 'You've made your way here to stop us...right? To get the goods? Sorry you got twisted up in this scene, but we have a plan you can't be getting in the way of. Ceaser demands his will be done, and it will be.'_

He didn't have time to think about the why though, he didn't have time to even react, all he knew was he had to get them all out of there. Six legion men total in the way of his partners, that wasn't including the ones with their guns raised to him. He held his own high, he wasn't going to become some legion mutt, he'd rather die; and so he told them just that. Too bad his wish was granted. The ranger hadn't minded his guard, too focused on the objective and his partners rather than his surroundings when someone came from behind him. Keeping them away hadn't been the problem, but the moment he pushed them off of him the man in front of him lunged for Kevin's own gun, prying it from his hands.  
_'So much for being a Veteran Ranger...'_ Had been his last thought before another gun shot rang off into the air with Weston's screams not far behind. _'From where you're kneeling it must seem like an eighteen-carat run of bad luck.'_ That thick voice echoed etched into his fleeting memories, his very core that would forever both anger and confuse him.

_'But, truth is...the game was rigged from the start.'_

His story, and life could have and should have ended there, but in the theme of New Vegas and lady luck it would seem fate and the gods had another plan for him. **"I was going to say I was thinkin ' we should head to sleep soon buddy, but it looks like you're ahead me, Hu ?"** The dog nudged closer and whined into Kevin's side, he couldn't help but chuckle. They'd be back home with the goods from Primm they got soon, but for now they needed sleep and Rex clearly had the right idea.  
The walk back home was still a few miles out, and trying to finish it when the sun was down was practically suicide, and Kevin wasn't all too keen on those kinds of missions anymore, not when he had something besides his life to loose again. 

* * *

_'Stop...Stop the caravan...'_

_'Hu what is it dude?'_

When Edd had found Kevin he honestly had thought the other man was dead, who could have blamed him either with his skin pale, breath shallow, and there's was so much blood, everywhere and pooling into the sand and dirt till his boots had a crimson coating. It left Edd to mumble about the filthiness of the situation, and his concern. But he couldn't just leave him there to die, and while he wasn't so sure he could save the stranger, he knew he had to try.

_'You must have some good eyesight, I didn't spot him-here let me help you.'_ At the time Nazz, a merchant he'd traveled with for awhile, was letting him get a ride back to Freeside to meet up with the other Followers Of The Apocalypse. He'd been greatful for her help, and really in that moment he'd been more grateful than he ever had, for the strangers sake at least.

_'Think he's going to make it? I mean...Jesus look at all-'_ She had rambled on at the time, but Edd could recall cutting her off. Not out of rudeness but because the reality that he couldn't save someone was always disheartening.

_'Good Lord Nazz, have some faith! We're close to the city, you just get us to those gates and...I don't know...maybe...maybe he will.'_ So yeah his faith in both himself and the mans chances had wavered. But Kevin was a fighter Edd would come to learn and that moment had been no different.

_'Just hang in there a bit longer mister.'_ For a brief moment the fact Edd had had a someone else's life really in allowed his own hang ups and problems to be forgotten, to wash away from him, when ironically it felt like the only thing washing over him was blood. He tried to use what medical equipment he had to stop the bleeding, but his whole point to coming back to Freeside was to stock up again-and because of this he was left with very little.  
Eventually they'd made it though, and with two other doctors assisting him Edd had managed to save the ranger. But it wouldn't be a two weeks later till he woke up, lost confused and slowly realizing the seriousness of the situation he'd been in. It would be another five before he could manage to speak, and another three before he could muster up anything that made sense. His brain felt scrambled, and everything in him ached, both body and mind.

His friends, his partners, were they still alive? Either way they were good as dead now...and the mission..._everything_...

_'Think you could tell me your name now sir? Seeing as I saved your life and all, I'd be ever appreciative of at least that if you're well enough.'_ When he'd finnaly been more cognitive to recognize someone, or rather to really take notice of the doctor who had saved his life-Kevin found himself a bit awestruck. It was at least a better feeling than the mess of emotions he'd previously felt, and still did respectively. _'Kevin'_  
His savior had smiled causing a slight gap between his front teeth to show, had Kevin been in less pain and more able he might of thought it endearing...might of that is.

_'Splendid! Well Kevin you are a fellow most in luck, I happened across you- around a month ago-'_ Kevin had cut him off. _'A month?!'_ To be fair that was a speedy recovery all things considered, and if Edd's hands hadn't been most capable, and the modern medicine of the era, Kevin would have been dead. So a month was worth it in Edd's opinion.

_'Yes. Of course a month what do you expect? You had quite the kick in the head I'll have you know.' _

_'A bullet, yeah ain't that a kick in the head...'_

_'It's not often I raise the dead and I'm greeted with such rudeness Kevin.'_

_'I'm sorry it's not often I find myself dead, what the hell's your name anyway...'_ Kevin had found himself mumble the last bit, his head throbbed and he hoped that would go away. His thoughts were already killing him enough, and part of him almost...almost wish he'd been left to die along with his partners. Still something about the other had sparked him willing enough to manage conversation, to push past the pain and speak.

_'Language mister, and it's Edd.'_ While a bit forward and rude, Edd couldn't really blame Kevin, and in his own way he could understand why, clearly Edd assumed he wouldn't be happy either with a shot to the head. But there was more to it all than that, and even Edd could see that.  
_'Care to tell me where exactly you've saved my life at then- Edd?'_ Kevin responded back, wincing as he went to lean up, of course Edd had ushered him to lay back down.

_'You're at The Old Mormon Fort, in Freeside...'_ So it was then he'd realized that it was The Followers place he was at, while usually their views didn't settle with the NCR all the time, nor did they usually go out of the way to help each other; Kevin himself had never had a problem with them. _'You did realize I'm a Ranger right? Why'd you do it...save me that is?'_ Edd hadn't skipped a beat with his response, although to be fair he hadn't taken much note on the fact Kevin was a Ranger till after the fact, the blood and dirt and obscured any NCR patches on his coat. It wasn't as if one came across someone in veteran armor at any rate.

_'Because, NCR or not I'm not too keen to let a man die when I can stop it. That's just appalling, and I don't think you'll ever find someone that cruel.'_

_'You'd be surprised...'_

_'I meant anyone that was a doctor of course. Either way I couldn't just leave you.'_ Edd had been here for a month now, and in a weird way this was one of the longest commitments he'd ever had to any of his patients, to anyone. The Mojave was almost always cruel, and it was very rare for Edd to take a chance and enjoy the good things he did when it wasn't. He didn't allow himself the time for formalities anymore beyond being polite, mostly because he'd learned from a young age that people never wanted them.  
He guessed looking back on it now there was some deeper meaning to him staying with Kevin and waiting for him to be cognitive and wake up. If Kevin couldn't talk if he couldn't do anything, there wasn't any chance he'd just be another person to push him away.  
_'At any rate you need you're rest, I'll ask you more questions tomorrow to make sure you're alright, alright Kevin?'_ Kevin had nodded to him, and Edd had smiled again, causing a pang in Kevin's chest slightly as the lanky doctor went to turn away.

_'Hey Double D...'_ Edd had turned around brows furrowed and confused by what he could only assume was a nickname for him.  
_'Thanks...'_

_'For what?'_

_' Come on dork, you're a doctor you can't be that stupid; for everything, I guess.'_ But just a thank you wasn't enough, and Kevin swore then and there he'd find someway to pay the other man back.

And with that a friendship was _perhaps_ spurred, although the ache in Kevin's chest thought different. Flashing back to the present, Edd was counting down the moments till the former Ranger made his way back, and he would of course, _he always did_.


End file.
